This is an unusual hand-tinted albumen photograph done with dyes, which gave the photograph a more vibrant look compared to those painted in watercolours. The first commercial colour photographic process, Autochrome, was patented by the Lumière Brothers in 1903. It became available in 1907 but did not become a commercial success because it was expensive and difficult to manufacture. Most commercial photographers relied on hand-painting, usually done by a hand-colouring artist. The process was not popular in late 19th century Singapore, and early hand-coloured photographs are rare and difficult to find. For about one year, in 1890, G.R. Lambert & Co. listed the services of a Japanese artist named N. Hayashi, presumably a hand-colouring artist.
